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Add Wireless Phone Charging to Any Vehicle

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Bought a fancy wireless charging phone, but can't afford a fancy new Chevy Bolt electric car with a built in wireless charger? Fear not! Now you can bring your old ride into the 21st century with this low cost solution.

I bought a cheap ~$10 Qi wireless charger puck from Ocean State Job Lots a year ago but they don't seem to sell it anymore. I recently found a similar one at Walmart that has a slightly stronger USB port. Other small pucks would probably work just as well.

Remove the screws from the bottom of the puck and remove the charger coil/circuit board as one piece. The board should be small enough to attach to the binder clip with 3 pieces of thick double backed sticky tape. Make sure the tape is thick enough to insulate the circuit board and not interfere with the elastic band.

Step 2: Attach Qi Board to Binder Clip Mount

Center the coil/board horizontally and a little bit lower than center. This is because the phone may sit a little lower in the binder clip clamp and the coils need to line up fairly close to make a solid connection.

Step 3: Don't Throw Away the Plastic Housing

Attach the binder clip to a convenient vent in your car and plug in a USB power cable to the Qi circuit board. Anytime the car is on accessory or running the Qi board will wirelessly charge any mounted phone with Qi charging.

Be careful not to put too much strain on the connector since it will be significantly weaker without the housing.

Reattach the screws to the plastic housing and make a creative beverage coaster. Have a cold one!